SPS corals looking ill

[PeterG]

Should I switch my LEDs back?

A few days ago I noticed my Green Slimer was getting white tips on its branches. I’ve got it about nine months and up until now it was doing really well. I also see my Montipora is not looking as full as it usually does.

My lighting is a pair of AI Hydra 26HD on a 90 gal. The only changes I’ve made recently was to up the UV from 85 to 114 and the Violet from 85 to 112. I also lowered the Royal and Blue from 100 to 82. These suggestions were taken from a R2R thread. Screen shots attached.

My water chemistry is:

pH - 8.2
Salinity - 1.025
NO3 - 10-15ppm (approx)
NO2 - 0ppm
**NH4 - <.2ppm Orig Post had a typo stating >.2ppm using RS NH4 test
Alk - 8.0dKH (Ave between Hanna, Red Sea and Salifert tests)
Ca. - 440ppm
Mag - 1520
PO4 - 0ppm

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

OLD SETTINGS

NEW SETTINGS

 

[ycnibrc]

White tip sometime can be new growth. Hydra26 is not a strong light so the variable change That u make is not significant to burn the tip. Your PO4 at zero is not recommended Coral need some phosphate and nitrate if u run your tank at zero then the corals are starving

 

[ndrwater]

Sounds like the UV increase was a bit much. The rest of your params look good.
I would suggest going back to where you were UV wise, and then SLOWLY ramp them to your desired levels.
Keep in mind that UV is the same wavelength that burn our skin, so seeing detrimental affects with a sudden jump in that range of the spectrum isn't a huge leap of probability.

 

[PeterG]

White tip sometime can be new growth. Hydra26 is not a strong light so the variable change That u make is not significant to burn the tip. Your PO4 at zero is not recommended Coral need some phosphate and nitrate if u run your tank at zero then the corals are starving

Thanks, What's your suggestion for raising PO4?

Sounds like the UV increase was a bit much. The rest of your params look good.
I would suggest going back to where you were UV wise, and then SLOWLY ramp them to your desired levels.
Keep in mind that UV is the same wavelength that burn our skin, so seeing detrimental affects with a sudden jump in that range of the spectrum isn't a huge leap of probability.

Was thinking the same thing. I raised the UV & Violet all in one shot. Will try this and also ycnibrc's suggestion on raising my PO4

 

[jda]

Any photos? The advice will be big-time different between burnt tips and growth. I would not do anything until you know which one for sure.

 

[PeterG]

Any photos? The advice will be big-time different between burnt tips and growth. I would not do anything until you know which one for sure.

Thanks JDA Here's one of each piece.

 

[jda]

Those are both really bad. Sorry. The first one with burnt tips comes only with LED burn, high alk with low building blocks (N and P) or sometimes with LARGE and FREQUENT alk swings. The second one is STN from the base which is due to point source shadowing, inconsistent parameters or pests.

You should not have any detectable ammonia. If that test is accurate, then you need to figure something out.

The tank looks pretty new, but I do see some Coralline in the background? Is it popping up everwhere and growing on the glass and stuff. It is easier to grow SPS once the Coralline really comes in.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Those are both really bad. Sorry. The first one with burnt tips comes only with LED burn, high alk with low building blocks (N and P) or sometimes with LARGE and FREQUENT alk swings. The second one is STN from the base which is due to point source shadowing, inconsistent parameters or pests.

You should not have any detectable ammonia. If that test is accurate, then you need to figure something out.

The tank looks pretty new, but I do see some Coralline in the background? Is it popping up everwhere and growing on the glass and stuff. It is easier to grow SPS once the Coralline really comes in.

I thought the same thing about the ammonia reading. Did you first notice the changes after the change in settings? I have 2 hydra 52 HD’s on my tank and kept killings sps because I could never settle on a program. Once I stopped messing with the settings the acros started thriving. I also tried that BRS sps ab+ setting and it killed $500 in acros in 48 hours. I now keep my UV and Violet at 30, which would be equivalent to 45 on the 26’s. There’s something about the hydra uv and Violet that seem to fry corals.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

It’s also important to know that the hydras and primes don’t have an intensity setting. The higher the percentages the higher the over all intensity. The BRS video on the primes is awesome but prime settings shouldn’t be the same as 26’s or 52’s. The total power/puck is different for all 3 models. A setting of 120 for UV/Violet on the prime should be 75 on a 26.

 

[x2uranium]

Looks like some type of alk swing that has been happening for some time now....

 

[SecondCityCorals]

As someone else said, it could be growth. Are you sure its burned tips? For instance, I have one or two of my new SPS frags with white tips. But my alk/calc are being sucked up like crazy. Are you having trouble with your tank consuming a ton of alk/calc? Then its probably growth. And they have tiny new polyps on the white part. So I'm like 99% sure its growth. My other frags have done this before too.

Burned tips are usually a sign of ULNS at high Alk (>9.0ish...)

If it were too much lighting, you'd get overall bleaching. Not just at the tips.

 

[IslandLifeReef]

You should not have any detectable ammonia. If that test is accurate, then you need to figure something out.

I like to start with the basics, and as @jda pointed out, your ammonia at greater than 0.2 ppm is a problem. Ammonia will kill any animal in our tanks.

I would start there.

 

[PeterG]

Those are both really bad. Sorry. The first one with burnt tips comes only with LED burn, high alk with low building blocks (N and P) or sometimes with LARGE and FREQUENT alk swings. The second one is STN from the base which is due to point source shadowing, inconsistent parameters or pests.

You should not have any detectable ammonia. If that test is accurate, then you need to figure something out.

The tank looks pretty new, but I do see some Coralline in the background? Is it popping up everwhere and growing on the glass and stuff. It is easier to grow SPS once the Coralline really comes in.

The tank is just about 1 yr old. The NH4 reading is a typo it should have said <.2. It's really between 0 - .2 (using Red Sea test kit) Ammonia badge shows normal. Thing is everything was doing fine until very recently. I got that Green Slimer as a frag and it's my best growing SPS. Yes, I've got coraline algae growing on the back glass. I scrap it off the sides & front. I've lowered my Hydra's back to where they were and ordered Seachem Flourish Phosphorus.

I thought the same thing about the ammonia reading. Did you first notice the changes after the change in settings? I have 2 hydra 52 HD’s on my tank and kept killings sps because I could never settle on a program. Once I stopped messing with the settings the acros started thriving. I also tried that BRS sps ab+ setting and it killed $500 in acros in 48 hours. I now keep my UV and Violet at 30, which would be equivalent to 45 on the 26’s. There’s something about the hydra uv and Violet that seem to fry corals.

Yeah, NH4 was a typo. (See above). I turned my Hydra's back to where they were initially. (OLD SETTING - at top of post).

Looks like some type of alk swing that has been happening for some time now....

Alk has been steady between 7-8 dKH for past few months. Before that I did have some swings up to apprx 9.5 and down to 7.0 but nothing wider than that.

As someone else said, it could be growth. Are you sure its burned tips? For instance, I have one or two of my new SPS frags with white tips. But my alk/calc are being sucked up like crazy. Are you having trouble with your tank consuming a ton of alk/calc? Then its probably growth. And they have tiny new polyps on the white part. So I'm like 99% sure its growth. My other frags have done this before too.

Burned tips are usually a sign of ULNS at high Alk (>9.0ish...)

If it were too much lighting, you'd get overall bleaching. Not just at the tips.

My Ca stay fairly consistent. Have BRS 2-part dosing but CA usually close to target of 425. Alk has been a bit less so and I've had to add from time to time.
Don't know if it's growth. I do know this coral had been doing really good and I've not seen the white tips til now.

I like to start with the basics, and as @jda pointed out, your ammonia at greater than 0.2 ppm is a problem. Ammonia will kill any animal in our tanks.

I would start there.

The NH4 reading was a typo. Should have said <.2dKH. I always have trouble reading the Red Sea NH4 test so rather than say reading is Zero I log in <.2
Sorry to have steered part of this discussion to Ammonia. Gonna change the OP so no one else draws the same conclusion.

 

[madweazl]

What did you use to measure the phosphates? Are you using something to actively remove them (carbon dosing, GFO, etc.)?

The first pic is certainly die off vs growth.

In regard to your second picture, the STN could be related (or compounded with the lighting) to flow issues, what are you using (hardware and settings)?

 

[PeterG]

What did you use to measure the phosphates? Are you using something to actively remove them (carbon dosing, GFO, etc.)?

The first pic is certainly die off vs growth.

In regard to your second picture, the STN could be related (or compounded with the lighting) to flow issues, what are you using (hardware and settings)?

The Montipora in second photo used to look fuller, more like a head of broccoli.
Using Salifert Phosphate test kit. Not doing anything to actively remove phosphates.
Fairly new to reefing; not sure what hardware & setting you need.
LED lighting is listed in OP as is chemistry. Tank is 90 gal with a 15 gal sump. Fiber pads and bio balls in sump along with an old carbon pad that is prob nothing more than another layer of mechanical filter at this point. Eschopps Skimmer (not sure of model as a lot of this equip is hand-me down) Return pump is Sicce Syncra 4.0. I have two Tunze 6055 power heads synched up on either side for additional flow.
Do you need anything more?

 

[BedrockIOMC]

The NH4 reading was a typo

LOL I hope everyone knows that now. you've had to write that a few times. LOL

 

[madweazl]

The Salifert phosphate kit isnt going to pick up low levels well, you're better off with the Hanna ULTRA low range (ULR) it. I suspect you probably have some phosphates so I wouldnt worry about that too much at this point.

In regard to hardware, I was after what you were using for flow within the tank (i.e. powerheads) and what power setting you were using.

Edit: the pads and bio-balls are not likely to be helping anything and may actually be trapping nitrates within the system.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

I really agree with @ycnibrc about your PO4. Between that and you making such Huge change in lighting its very hard on your SPS. Im glad to hear you changed your lighting back, you need to make your changes a little at a time till you get to where you want it. The huge thing is you need to get some PO4 in your water so the corals have something to live on. You can do some target feeding with them and I would do that in a hurry and then work on add PO4 to your water. If you have some kind of media that you are using to remove PO4 I would remove it for a while and let them build up. corals have to be able to eat just like your fish do as well. Good luck and move fast.

 

[x2uranium]

All these tips are good start slow with changes also if something went awry with anything in your tank it could take weeks for the problem to even show up that is on a noticeable level to your eyes.

 

[PeterG]

The Salifert phosphate kit isnt going to pick up low levels well, you're better off with the Hanna ULTRA low range (ULR) it. I suspect you probably have some phosphates so I wouldnt worry about that too much at this point.

In regard to hardware, I was after what you were using for flow within the tank (i.e. powerheads) and what power setting you were using.

Edit: the pads and bio-balls are likely to be helping anything and may actually be trapping nitrates within the system.

My powerheads are synched up at close to maximum power and about a 3 second pulse. I've been thinking about adding more flow - maybe an Icecap Gyre.
Did you mean the Pads & Bio Balls are NOT helping? I have ceramic Bio Media and plastic Bio balls. Been thinking about a larger more up-to-date sump but I find the idea of plumbing a new sump intimidating. The Hanna ULR kit I can do.

I really agree with @ycnibrc about your PO4. Between that and you making such Huge change in lighting its very hard on your SPS. Im glad to hear you changed your lighting back, you need to make your changes a little at a time till you get to where you want it. The huge thing is you need to get some PO4 in your water so the corals have something to live on. You can do some target feeding with them and I would do that in a hurry and then work on add PO4 to your water. If you have some kind of media that you are using to remove PO4 I would remove it for a while and let them build up. corals have to be able to eat just like your fish do as well. Good luck and move fast.

I just got some Seachem Flourish Phosphorus and added about 12.5ml to my 90gal. What would I use to target feed them?

All these tips are good start slow with changes also if something went awry with anything in your tank it could take weeks for the problem to even show up that is on a noticeable level to your eyes.

+1 on move slowly. Don't know what I was thinking when I just "flipped a switch" to change my LEDs. Hopefully I can bring those corals back.